DOG FOOD FOR SENSITIVE STOMACHS: TOP PICKS AND TIPS
Just like people, some dogs may have sensitive stomachs! In such cases, special precautionary measures have to be taken while deciding their diet plan and choosing the right dog food option. For dogs with sensitive stomachs, prioritize dog food brands that contain easily digestible proteins such as lamb, salmon, or novel proteins like duck or venison, and also consider limited ingredient or grain-free diets. High-quality, minimally processed foods that contain digestible carbohydrates and added fiber can also prove to be beneficial and effective. Consulting with a veterinarian is crucial in such cases as they provide personalized recommendations and would also rule out any underlying medical conditions that might be showing symptoms in form of sensitive digestive system problems.
Top Picks:
Limited Ingredient Diets (LID):
Limited Ingredient Diets focus on a single source of protein and a few other carefully selected ingredients, which could minimize potential allergens and digestive upsets caused by regular dog food.
Novel Proteins:
Proteins like lamb, salmon, duck, or venison are termed as Novel Proteins and are less likely to cause allergic reactions as compared to the dog food made of common protein sources such as chicken or beef.
Grain-Free Options:
Grains can be a common allergen, so grain-free dog food diets can be a good choice for dogs that have a sensitive digestion.
Hydrolyzed Protein Diets:
Hydrolyzed Protein Diets are veterinary dog food that have been especially prescribed by veterinarians. They have proteins broken down into smaller pieces, which makes them easier to digest by the dog.
Fresh, Minimally Processed Foods:
Fresh, minimally processed foods may include dog food options that offer gently cooked, high-quality ingredients that are easily digestible and would facilitate smoother digestion.
Tips for Choosing Dog Food:
Read Labels Carefully: When we read the packaging of the dog food, we must look for high-quality ingredients, limited ingredients, and avoid artificial additives, fillers, and common allergens. Simple formulas with high quality should be our main decision making factor while buying the right dog food for sensitive dogs.
Gradual Transition: When switching to a new food, we should never switch between the brands immediately. This transition should be gradual, spread over a period of 1 week at least; by introducing the new dog food and slowly increasing its quantity in order to avoid further stomach upset, especially in case of dogs with sensitive stomachs.
Small, Frequent Meals: Instead of feeding a large quantity of dog food to our dog once or twice a day; we should try to give the food in small portions, more frequently during the day. Eating little food quantities would help with digestion and control the problem.
Hydration: Water is very important! You must ensure that our dogs have access to fresh and clean drinking water at all times. Dehydration can also upset digestion as water facilitates smooth digestive process.
Consider Fiber: Dog Food options that may contain pumpkin, sweet potato, or other fiber sources can help regulate bowel movements, therefore we need to look for these ingredients while choosing the food brand.
Probiotics and Prebiotics: Probiotics and Prebiotics are known for improved digestion as they can support gut health, both in case of human beings as well as animals. We need to ensure that these ingredients are present in the dog food, especially when it comes to dogs that have digestive problems.
Consult a Veterinarian: Being an expert professional, the vet can help identify the symptoms of any underlying medical conditions and recommend the best food for our dog’s specific needs, accordingly. In case the dog has a sensitive stomach, then the vet can prescribe the best suited dog food option. We need to be in touch with a good veterinarian and arrange regular checkups of the dogs.
Ingredients to Consider:
Proteins: We must look for the right protein sources, such as lamb, salmon, duck, venison and hydrolyzed protein.
Carbohydrates: For carbohydrates, we must go for ingredients like sweet potato, pumpkin, white rice, brown rice and barley in the diet food.
Fats: Coconut oil is an ideal source of fat.
Vitamins and Minerals: Niacin, flaxseed and kale are rich in vitamins and minerals.
Avoid: Common allergens such as chicken, beef, wheat, corn, and soy, as well as artificial additives and fillers, need to be avoided.
If our dog has a sensitive stomach, it would create many problems as bad digestion leads to poor absorption of nutrients. If the dog does not get proper nutrition, then its overall growth and development, maintenance of optimum weight, general appearance and energy levels will all get affected. Therefore, when it comes to dog food, “one size fits all” formula does not work. Some dogs might have sensitive digestive systems and need special kind of diet. As a dog owner our job is to make sure that our dogs get the right kind of diet; whatever dog food suits their digestion must be given to them. Make sure that we give the proper care and attention to our canine buddies so they can be our happy and healthy companions for life.